Portable radiotelephones are well known and commonly used, particularly in the form of portable cellular telephones. Cellular telephones can now be made in very small sizes to fit into pockets and purses. For these smaller telephones, the conventional fixed mast antenna has been replaced with a hidden or retractable antenna. Fixed mast antennas are effective because they are always in the fully extended position for maximum performance of the telephone, but the added length to the overall telephone can defeat the small size of the telephone body. Although the small cellular telephones with the hidden or retractable antenna are convenient, one must remember to extend the antenna when answering or sending a phone call to take advantage of the best possible performance of the telephone. A collapsed antenna can support minimal radio frequency propagation to receive incoming phone calls regardless of antenna position; however, users often do not extend the antenna and conduct phone conversations with the antenna in the retracted position. With the antenna in the retracted position, the sound quality of the telephone is often poor and the effective range of the telephone is reduced.
Another problem with conventional cellular telephones is inadvertent key depression which can cause the cellular telephone to power-up and drain the battery or can automatically initiate a phone call and cause the user to inadvertently run up a telephone bill. Cellular telephones often have covers to prevent inadvertent key depression, but inadvertent key depression can still occur if an object becomes lodged between the cover and the keypad as can happen with rotatable "flip" covers. With flip covers, phone calls can also be inadvertently disconnected while trying to answer the call when the flip cover is inadvertently opened and closed.
Accordingly, there is a need for a portable radiotelephone which more easily enables maximum telephone performance during telephone calls and which prevents inadvertent key depression and inadvertent phone call disconnection.